A Fairy Tale Ending: Ninja Style
by DrProfessor756
Summary: Continuation of The Shinobi, at the Party, in the Middle of the Night. How will our heroes fare following the events of Tsunade's baby daddy hunt. Perhaps the answer lies within this story...or perhaps not.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a continuation of my other story, 'The Shinobi, at the Party, in the Middle of the Night' While Kakashi and Shizune will be the main focus of this story rest assured that you'll see plenty of Yamato, Genma, and Iruka throughout. And on a final note you can expect updates to happen sporadically. (when my muse hits me type of thing)**

* * *

 **Doubts and Jealously**

The early morning sun trickled through the partially shut window blinds, the rays of light dancing on the face of Konoha's newly-minted Rokudaime Hokage. Of course, for most people eleven in the morning wasn't exactly early but for one Kakashi Hatake the thought of being up this early was blasphemous. As much as he may have disliked the idea, it had now become his reality, for the better part of a month in fact.

His first month in office was even more uneventful than he feared, more paperwork and frivolous meetings than he thought possible within the short span of his reign. And yet all the paperwork and meetings in the world couldn't prepare him for what this day was going to bring him.

A curt knock came from the door before it was pushed open and revealed the Hokage's temporary assistant and full-time kohai, Tenzo. "Finished up all your morning paperwork Kakashi-sama?" He greeted, his expression doing a poor job of hiding his amusement in his senpai's frustrations.

"First off, how many times do I have to tell to knock it off with the 'sama' stuff? I'm still the same old Kakashi, they just gave me a funny hat to wear." He motioned towards to the hat hanging on the back of his chair as he stretched his body.

The mokuton user rolled his eyes as he approached the desk, collecting all of the completed paperwork for later filing. "That funny hat means you're our leader, you're the one who'll be guiding the village and subsequent peace efforts with the other nations. So I'd say you're much more than the Kakashi of old, or at least you have to be."

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively at the younger man, returning to his slumped position on the Hokage chair. "Well come on then, bring on the rest it."

"The rest of what?"

The former copy nin gave a defeated sigh before answering. "The paperwork."

"There's no more paperwork for today."

"Oh great, I suppose that means a day filled with those crotchety old geezers then." He began stroking his hair in an attempt to quell his growing anxiety. Now he realized why Lady Tsunade took to drinking so much during her reign.

The brown haired man shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. "You're kind of right, except the meetings aren't with the village elders."

The former copy nin narrowed his eyes suspiciously towards Yamato, knowing full well what a smile from him meant. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

* * *

Just as he suspected, this day was going to be torture. He could just smell it, quite literally. That smelly smell that smelled…smelly. A very pungent scent that oddly reminded him of his apartment during his ninken's bathing time. But it made sense, considering the fact that he was face to face with the entrance to the Inuzuka compound.

As he entered the compound he was greeted by the sight of dogs; big and small, young and old, anywhere he looked he saw a canine, each one vastly different from the last. Perhaps this is what doggy heaven look liked, he thought, as he continued his march through the compound in search of a bipedal organism, preferably of the human variety.

A stinging slap on his backside alerted him to the presence of such a person. Turning around he saw the head of the Inuzuka flashing him a feral grin as he felt a squeeze come from the same offending hand. "Nice of you to stop by Kakashi-sama, and on time no less."

It took all of his willpower not to jump out of his sandals and sprint towards the nearest exit. Silently reminding himself that a Hokage shouldn't be intimidated by any of his subordinates, he calmly created some distance between himself and Tsume, offering her an eye crinkle in greeting. "Of course, I am the Hokage after all; being on time is part of the job description. So tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of meeting with you today?"

Tsume, ever the blunt one, quickly wrapped an arm around his shoulders and lead him into the main branch residence. And given the height difference between the two Kakashi ended up hunched underneath her arm as she essentially dragged him into her home rather forcefully. _Great job Hatake,_ he thought, _this has to be a first for a Hokage._

"Well Kakashi-sama" she started in an extra syrupy voice as she released him from the virtual headlock "it's not me you'll be meeting with."

He fixed her a suspicious look, receiving a gleeful snicker from the clan head. "Come on out Hana." As soon as she uttered the command a door slide open and out walked the aforementioned kunoichi.

She looked lovely.

He hated to admit it, but it was true. She wasn't in her usual garb; instead she wore an intricately designed maroon kimono tied together by a pearl colored silk sash. It was a far cry from what the tomboyish veterinarian usually wore, and judging by her posture the attire only served to take her out of her comfort zone.

Taking a few tentative steps towards him she bowed her head in greeting. "Welcome to our humble abode Kakashi-sama, would you care to join me in the garden area?" She spoke in an almost robotic tone, as if she had been reading the words off of a cue card. And perhaps she was.

Turning back to continue question Tsume further he was met with her retreating form making for the exit. Not that he really needed an answer; it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on right now.

"Alright Hana, be honest now. Why are you guys doing all of this?"

The Inuzuka heir gave a dramatic sigh and slumped her shoulders, beckoning him to follow with a shake of her head. "Follow me Hokage-sama, we can talk about it in the garden." Giving his own exhausted sigh the former copy nin followed her into the garden, a deepening sense of foreboding following him as he did.

Finally the dolled-up heiress placed herself atop a boulder rather unceremoniously, fidgeting with her kimono rather nervously. Her discomfort was obvious, whether it was due to her attire or the nature of the following conversation he didn't know. Suddenly, and without much warning three rather large dogs leapt into the garden, surprising even Hana. "Boys, what are you doing here? You were supposed to stay away, remember." She admonished, receiving several whines in return.

"Well I guess it can't be helped." Lifting her gaze up to Kakashi's own she offered him an apologetic smile. "The clan elders put me up to this, hell even mom agreed with them. And that hardly ever happens."

"Why?" He questioned, already guessing the answer but wanting to hear it from the Inuzuka heir herself.

"Isn't it obvious, you're the Hokage." He raised a quizzical eyebrow at the statement. She merely rolled her eyes and continued. "A bachelor Hokage. Whether you like it or not every single clan in the village is going to be sending someone to try and land the Hokage as a member of their clan."

"You mean to tell me that I'm going to have to suffer through more of these…" He waved his hand around nonchalantly. "Things?" Seeing her nod her head in the affirm he could only groan, running a hand through his silver hair.

* * *

"Woe is me, to be courted by some of the most powerful, beautiful, and most kunoichi in the village." Yamato mocked, as he and a few other shinobi drank their sake. "Does he not realize how many guys would kill to be in his postion?" The surrounding shinobi went about their business, completely ignoring the inebriated mokuton user.

He had been going on about Kakashi from the moment he stepped foot in the bar, his complaints only growing louder as he consumed more alcohol. Of course for Yamato this was very common behavior, and so most of the usual crowd managed to tune out his whining. But like most drunks, Yamato didn't take to being ignored lightly, as he started singling out a few of the present shinobi. "Amirite? Come Genma, back me up on this."

"Damn it Yamato, you're a worse drunk than Gai." Aoba snapped, his patience wearing thin with the younger ninja. Rising up in a huff, the special jonin quickly downed his shot and left the premises. Yamato, at his current level of intoxication was unfazed, and quickly turned his attention to the remaining ninja.

"I'm telling you Genma, that Kakashi is one lucky sonofabitch. I mean, it's like the universe has it out for me or something-"

"Would you just shut the hell up already!" Genma interrupted, his glass cracking under the pressure of his grip.

"What crawled up your ass?"

"I have no idea know, and that's literally my problem. I still don't know what happened; I mean there's just no way I could've done…that. No chance, no matter how much I drank." The senbon chewing jonin shook his head, quickly downing another sake shot.

Yamato wrapped an arm around the downtrodden shinobi, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Well if it bothers you so much why don't you just rent a tape, huh. Maybe you'll get a discount on account of you starring in it, hmm."

"Get your damn hands off me." And so, with the combination of alcohol and self-pity a fight quickly broke out. And not just any fight. A fight between two of Konoha's most elite and experienced shinobis, a sight to behold for sure. And it was, but for all the wrong reasons.

Fists flew wildly within the first few seconds with none connecting, what was supposed to be an epic battle turned into an embarrassing drunken display. Both men ended up grappling each other onto the floor, incoherent blabbering ever present during their struggle. The rest of the bars patrons stood by to witness the event, none daring or caring to enter the fray. And while most of the bar's patrons were unaware of what the cause of their argument was, one person was listening quite closely to the drunken duo's earlier conversation.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade, what brings you to the hospital today?" A young nurse asked in a cheerful tone despite the prying nature of her question.

Normally she would have given her a death glare and told her to cram it, but she had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. Sucking in whatever ill will wanted to spill out of her she managed to remain calm. "I've come to see Shizune."

"Oh, I see. She's in her office right now."

"Right, thanks." She forced a smile which the girl happily returned and went on her way towards her pupil's office.

She still couldn't believe it how she managed to slip in and out of the village so easily, and with such a simple henge. The henge itself was a simple change in hair color and a very significant reduction in her bust size. Seriously was that all people saw in her, big breasts and blonde hair. But she couldn't get too angry, after all that was the point of her 'boring brunette' henge. After all she couldn't exactly go bar hopping as fifth Hokage. 'Once Hokage, always Hokage' as Shizune liked to say.

Finally she was at the door to Shizune's office, and after years of being 'the boss' she had to remind herself that knocking was the proper thing to do before entering. Perhaps she did miss being Hokage, just a little bit.

After a couple courtesy knocks she opened the door, not waiting for a response from inside. She never had to as Hokage, and old habbits are to kill she told herself. No matter how hard you try. A part of her was hoping to walk in on something anything, in hopes of finally catching a glimpse of the medic's naughty side. But that was wishful thinking on her part. Unless you poured some alcohol into Shizune she was as calm and shy as they came.

Unsurprisingly, she found her loyal confidant and former student seated at her desk, a familiar and hated stack of papers in front of her. Her face was etched with surprise, but she regathered her poise quickly. "Is something wrong Tsunade-sama?"

"Oh nothing really, just hoping to catch you in the middle of something a bit more…" The blonde gave her a devious grin. "exciting." Tsunade dropped herself atop one of the chairs set before Shizune's desk.

"This might come as a surprise Tsunade-sama but some people don't mind having a desk job, or the work that comes with it." She resumed her task, hastily scribbling various notes and signatures on several papers laid out on her desk.

Whatever anger arose from the veiled insult was quickly abated, a smirk forming at the corner of her lips. "Really, and how does our new Hokage feel being trapped behind a desk all day?"

The raven haired kunoichi snorted in response. "That may be one of the few things you and Kakashi have in common."

"That's true, although from what I've been hearing he hasn't spent much time in his office the past couple of days." An ebony eyebrow rose in curiosity as Shizune gave her teacher a questioning look, her expression demanding an explanation.

"Oh you haven't heard, strange considering the way gossip travels in this village. But I suppose you've been really busy lately." Rising from her seat she made for the door. "And I really shouldn't take up anymore of your time." Despite having her back turned Tsunade could picture the look on her apprentice's face, Shizune's irritation just wafting off of her in waves.

As the blonde's hand reached for the doorknob an annoyed sigh caught her attention, freezing her advance. "Tsunade-sama please, you've got my attention now would you please tell me what's going on." The former Hokage couldn't hide the victorious grin that emerged as she began recounting all that she had learned to her pupil.

* * *

When the slug princess finally recounted all the juicy gossip she had learned she couldn't help but feel a certain emptiness. Her expectations were far different from the reality, instead of feeling like an accomplished teacher and confidant she felt no better than the rest of the village gossipers. And that's when it finally occurred to her, the problem wasn't anything she had said or the way she'd done it. No the problem was Shizune's reaction upon hearing the news.

Shizune's reaction, or lack thereof, bothered her on a level that made the Sanin want to reach for the flask of sake she had hidden in her flask. Granted most shinobi tended to hide their true feelings but this was Shizune, her very first pupil. She knew all her tells and nuances, and yet her reaction to the news of Hatake's courtship was so…neutral and uncaring.

"Why are you so calm Shizune?" The blonde questioned, her voice rising in discontent. "You should be absolutely livid right now."

"Because it's not my concern Tsunade-sama." The younger woman responded, her voice soft but firm in its delivery. "I know you may not agree with it but Kakashi and I have decided to raise our child together. And that's it, nothing more. We're both free to do as we please."

With a half-hearted laugh the Hashirama's granddaughter rose from her seat. "I think of myself as being a pretty open-minded person but if you honestly think that arrangement is going to work then I've failed you as your mentor." Without waiting for a response Tsunade made a hasty escape, leaving Shizune to consider her words and the newfound information she'd been given.

* * *

 **First chapter is done, just a bit of setup for what's to come. Hope you guys like it, see you guys at the next update (whenever that is)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Reluctant Replacements  
**

It was another cloudy day in the hidden leaf village, or at least it was in the eyes of one Kakashi Hatake. In reality the bright afternoon sun flared through the office windows lighting everything in the Hokage's private study. But when one was as downtrodden as the sitting Hokage everything seemed to be a bit gloomier.

"When is this torture gonna end Tenzo? Please tell me it's almost over, even if it's a lie. I just have to hear the words come out of your mouth." He reached a hand out towards his stoic assistant, his eyes begging the younger man to answer his pleas.

Yamato merely rolled his eyes in response having already built up a tolerance to his senpai's melodramatic antics. "Quit being such a baby senpai and besides, this can all end whenever you want it to."

"Well then I want it to end now."

"Fine, just pick somebody then." He answered simply, and in the end it really was as easy as he made it out to be.

With a loud groan the acting Hokage slumped his head in a comedic fashion. "Maa, it's not that simple. I mean the last thing I'd want to do is force some poor girl to end up with me as a husband, especially if she's pressured into it because of village politics."

The mokuton user smiled, despite his offensive habits Hatake was still a good man at heart. A bit perverted at times, but noble all the same.

"And not to mention the whole 'till death do us part' thing, can't say I'm too thrilled with that prospect either. Never saw myself as a one woman kind of guy."

"How very noble of you senpai." Yamato deadpanned, "But unless you come to a decision or you decide to let Naruto take over as Hokage I don't really see what other options you have."

The silver haired Hokage hummed in response, his mind going to work. "Someone take over for me hmm?"

The look instilled a fear in the younger man, past experience reminding him of the dangers of his senpai's scheming tone. "What!? No, I was only being sarcastic Kakashi you can't make Naruto-"

"Of course you were but that doesn't make the idea any less brilliant." He rose from his seat, turning his back on his assistant as he shifted his gaze towards the village below. "It's so simple; I'll just have someone take my place. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier. And they call me a genius."

"I highly doubt Tsunade-sama or the village elders would approve of you stepping down a month into your reign."

Turning to face the mokuton user he gave his signature eye crinkle, a big grin sure to be underneath the mask if one were to take a peek underneath it. "You've got it all wrong Tenzo, I have no intention of abandoning my duties as Hokage."

"Then what do you plan on doing?"

"Just what I said, I'm going to have a man fill in for me." There was a hint of amusement in the former copy nin's voice that did nothing to ease Yamato's worries, if anything it only served to heighten his anxiety.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the leaf village hospital a certain hospital director found herself in her usual place behind her desk. The usual paperwork and the like set before her. But for the past few days something had been off, her normally sharp mind had lost its edge. Tempted as she might be to blame it on her current condition, being pregnant and all, deep down she knew the true cause of her troubles.

Her teacher's words echoed inside her head, doubt starting to rear its ugly head in her thoughts. Perhaps her reaction should be one of anger. But then again Kakashi made it very clear not to expect anything romantic to come out of their arrangement, 'let's just see where this takes us, without the commitment.' Of course now that she was seeing the direction they were both headed she couldn't help but frown.

Maybe, just maybe, she didn't like the way things were turning out.

With a shake of her head she went back to her work. Assigning work schedules, reviewing applicant resumes, and administrating hospital finances had become a haven to the medic. She was not the skilled kunoichi that Sakura was, nor did she have Tsunade's large and in charge attitude (or assets for that matter), she was simply Shizune. And what she lacked in skill or personality she more than made up for with her meticulous and thorough nature; no amount of paperwork was too large to complete, nor any schedule too chaotic for her to organize. And while that usually tends to worsen a person's anxieties her clerical duties actually had a therapeutic effect on the medic nin.

After all paperwork never got angry at her, never judged her personal life, never made her feel ashamed of herself or go out on dates with every floozy living in the village at the behest of the elders.

"Damn it!" Throwing her pen across the office she slammed her fist on her desk as her thoughts raced in her mind. Thoughts of a certain masked Hokage and several of the village sluts having the time of their lives while she sat behind a desk all alone, her belly slowly growing into the size of a small planet.

A couple of knocks came from her door as a head topped with pink peaked through the side."Is everything alright Shizune?"

"Yes Sakura, you can come in. I just…" She offered the kunoichi an apologetic smile, mentally berating herself for losing her composure.

Sakura, astute as ever, was quick to notice the angst in the older kunoichi's face. After all she'd been there many times herself. "I just came to see if you had finished reviewing the schedules for the next shift but if you need more time I can-"

"I-I'm so sorry Sakura I haven't had a chance to look them over yet." She responded, her hands fumbling through a mess of papers sitting atop her desk. "If you give a few more minutes I can get that done right away."

"It's alright Shizune, no need to apologize."

"I'm sorry I just-"

With a wave of her hand the pinkette quickly cut off the older kunoichi, shaking her head in annoyance. "First off you need to stop apologizing." As she spoke she grabbed a stack of paperwork in front of Shizune. "Second, you should take the rest of the day off and let me worry about the hospital for today. In fact you should really take a few days off, all this stress isn't good for you."

"I'm perfectly fine Sakura and besides, there is no way I'd be comfortable giving you all of my work on top of your own responsibilities." The older medic protested, not normally one to be slacking off in her duties.

Sakura offered Shizune a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Shizune besides, I never said I'd be doing the work myself." She could hear the satisfaction in the voice of the pinkette, her smile turning more insidious as she continued. "Tsunade-sama has been relatively free since she's stepped down, maybe a bit too free." The smile that spread across Sakura's face was a wicked one indeed, one that Shizune was all too quick to return.

"Well if that's the case I suppose I can't really disagree. I'll see you in a few days." Gathering a few of her belongings Shizune rose from her seat and made for the door, pausing as she reached the doorway to address the pinkette. "On second thought, let's make it a week."

* * *

"These seem like weird things to have in a storage closet." The mokuton user stood bewildered as Kakashi handed him an assortment of items. Chief among these was a robe identical to the one worn by the Hokage as well as a wig meant to mimic his silver locks.

"Not really Tenzo, they actually belong to Akira." Yamato stared at him quizzically, awaiting further explanation from his superior. "Oh that's right you haven't met him. He's my double, yeah the elders decided to hire him a few weeks ago. Go chakraless instead of using a henge, so if anyone tries to kill me they might get to poor Akira instead. I'd feel bad for the guy but he probably makes more money than the both of us combined."

Yamato nodded his head at this, beginning to understand Kakashi's thinking. "I see, you're going to have this Akira guy take your place."

"Hehehe, not exactly." The Hokage replied, scratching his head in a seemingly embarrassed fashion. "Doing that would be a gross misuse of my power as Hokage, and you should know I've never been one to do such things." The former ANBU agent couldn't hold the snort that left his lips as the masked hokage began walking back to his office, black eyes surveying his surroundings looking for any would-be eavesdropper.

Yamato followed closely behind his superior, his face contorting into a scowl as he tired of being left in the dark by his suave senpai. "Then what exactly is the plan senpai?"

Rather than answer Kakashi continued walking towards his office, eventually taking a seat behind his aged oak desk, his back turned towards the brunette. The mokuton user could only wait underneath the doorway, awaiting a response from the Rokudaime. After a few tense moments of silence Hatake finally turned to face his angered protege, offering him another eye crinkle. "I'm going to have you take my place."

Yamato took a deep breath in an attempt to quell his growing rage. "Come again?"

"You're going to assume my identity and take care of my little problem."

"Nope. Not a chance, this is where I draw the line Kakashi. I've been your errand boy for far too-"

"Last time I checked it was me, and not you who was named Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village." His voice was devoid of any humor, the old friend giving way to the current hokage. "This is an order, a mission straight from your hokage. As a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf you cannot refuse."

Yamato couldn't halt the look of shock that spread across his face having never been addressed in such a manner by his normally aloof superior. His senpai had always been a bit manipulative, but to pull rank on him. To treat him as if he were just another common shinobi, it hurt a lot more than he'd care to admit.

Seeing the hurt in his koahi's countenance Hatake slumped back into his chair as his demeanor shifted back to that of his usual, aloof self. "Maa, sorry if that came out a bit harsh but understand that I chose you for a reason. After all, there aren't many people who know me as well as you do, nor is there anyone I trust more to carry this mission out."

The mokuton user narrowed his eyes at the kind words being directed his way, trying his hardest to contain the smile that threatened to break his suspicious facade. With a snort Yamato rolled his eyes in defeat "Hokage or not, there's no way you'll let me say no to you is there?"

"No need to act all disappointed Tenzo. You've always talked about how I have it pretty easy, now you'll get a chance to walk a mile in my sandals."

Taking a few moments to contemplate his friend's words Yamato eventually conceded, nodding his head in acceptance of the proposal. He would never say it out loud, much less in front of his senpai, but he would have the occasional dream concerning that exact scenario. And boy, did those dreams tend to be enjoyable. With any luck the real thing would be even better.

* * *

In a more…questionable part of town Konoha's favorite gambler found herself in the midst of a highly improbable winning streak. And while that might be a welcomed turn of events for most the winning streak was an ominous sign for Tsunade Senju.

"Congratulations madam-"

"Aw, shut it." She cut the man off with a growl as she collected her winnings. "The last thing I needed was to go on a winning streak."

Suddenly from out in the distance came an all too familiar voice stretching out across the dimly lit space. "Tsunade-shishou, I'm so glad I found."

"Sakura, what a surprise." The blonde began, her face as expressionless as she could make it. "Care to explain what you're doing here?"

Green eyes twinkled mischievously as a smile spread across Sakura's face. "I was looking for you Tsunade-sama. I was talking with Shizune and we both decided that you're the only one who can help us. You see Shizune hasn't been acting-"

"Cut the crap Sakura, just what the hell do you two want from me?"

The pinkette's smile disappeared in response to her teacher's annoyed tone, her face devoid of any mirth that previously adorned it. "Shizune needs to take the next week off from her hospital duties and we're going to need you to fill in for her."

"Fine." With a shake of her head the blonde made for the exit. "But we're gonna make a quick sake stop before heading to the hospital. And you're buying."

* * *

 **Nice. Managed to update this in just under a year (I'm horrible).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Seven months since this story was last updated. Pretty, pretty good.  
**

* * *

It had only been an hour that he donned his senpai's clothes and assumed his identity but already Yamato was already beginning to feel a difference. He first noticed the change during his walk through the park, the children all clamored around him, bombarding him with questions about being a ninja of the Hidden Leaf. It was an endearing request, one that he nearly fulfilled. But then it hit him, the real Kakashi Hatake would've just brushed them off with a lame excuse and been on his way. And so he did just that.

This change extended through the rest of his travels, every man, woman, and child greeted him with a warmth and reverence he once thought impossible. Only in dreams would he receive this kind of respect and adoration. Of course this newfound respect was technically directed at his senpai, but it felt nice all the same.

Strange, to think that he finally became visible the moment he donned the copy nin's mask. Until then he had gone largely unnoticed by the community at large, even to the very people he made entire homes for during Konoha's rebuild. That just wasn't right.

But perhaps all this resentment was simply a matter of hunger. After all he hadn't eaten since early morning and even a veteran shinobi was liable to be moody on such an empty stomach.

After scanning his surroundings and establishing his location within the village the Mokuton user made way for Konoha's world renowned ramen stand. Perhaps with a full stomach his mind would feel more at ease and he could finish this idiotic mission all the better.

* * *

Conditions in the Hokage tower had changed significantly in the short time since the Rokudaime's inauguration. The once pristine halls and office within lost a bit of their luster, most of its old employees quickly adapting to their new Hokage's sense of work ethic. Of which there was hardly any.

The new employees, mostly young and inexperienced, followed suit when it came to any office work that needed to be done. Particularly his personal receptionist, a young, spectacled blonde formerly employed by the Cryptology office.

"Good afternoon Shizune-san, slow day at the hospital?" Her eyes remained glued to the computer screen as the tapping of keys filled the room.

It was quite rude really, to address a visitor in such an uncaring manner. But this was most likely Kakashi's fault; the girl simply lacked the proper etiquette one needed as the Hokage's receptionist.

"I've actually decided to take some time off from my hospital duties. Maybe help out around the office a little bit." _You guys really need it._ She offered a friendly smile that went unnoticed by the apparently preoccupied receptionist.

"Oh that's nice." It was apparent the she wasn't really paying attention to whatever Shizune had to say. But being the considerate person she was the medic didn't take offense. She may actually have important work she has to finish.

"So, what exactly are you working on?" Suddenly the fingers that had been punishing the keyboard ceased their assault. For the first time since her arrival the blonde managed to tear her eyes away from the computer screen and genuinely acknowledge the woman before her.

Pushing her thick glasses up the ridge of her nose she took a deep breath as she appeared to mentally form a proper response. "Well, it's only a rough draft but it's kind of an alternate universe take on the protagonist from master Jiraiya's second installment of the Icha Icha series. But whereas the original story has him pit against the dragon mistress of the hidden icicle village my story involves the two of them meeting as children and growing up together…" Her mouth kept moving, bombarding Shizune with a summary of what she soon understood to be Shiho's fanfiction.

Fanfiction, of Jiraiya's perverted stories.

At this point her patience was nearing its limit; she could feel her eye start to twitch as the spectacled blonde continued her verbal presentation. "Is Kakashi in his office?"

And with that simple phrase the wind had been knock out of her lungs, her face returning to one of utter indifference. "Oh, let me check." Pressing the button on the intercom she quickly contacted the aforementioned shinobi.

"Yes Shiho-chan?"

"Sorry to disturb you Kakashi-kun, you have a visitor who wishes to speak to you."

"Hmm, who is it?"

"It's Shizune-san."

"Maa, tell her I'm not in right now. Just make something up."

"Ah, sir you're on speaker right now. She can hear everything."

Forced laughter sounded from within the speaker. The receptionist simply shrugged her shoulders and motioned Shizune towards his office.

* * *

Oh shit, he really needed to remind Shiho to be more discreet. Luckily for him Shizune was one of the more patient kunoichi in the village. He could just play it off as a joke, no big deal.

Much to his surprise there was no preemptive knock before the door burst open and Shizune rushed into his office. As he looked into her face he saw something akin to anger. Perhaps it was a big deal.

Coal black eyes danced around anxiously, appearing to take in every detail of the of books and documents littered around his office. "I've been relieved of my medical duties for the next week or so; apparently some people think I'm not capable of doing my job anymore. If only they knew how much work I put into running this village during the fifth's reign."

Her hands started sifting through one of the many piles of books and documents scattered across the floor. Apparently her irritation had more to do with the state of his surroundings as opposed to his prior indiscretion.

"By all means come in, make yourself at home. Can I get you anything to drink? " Kakashi drawled out, still attempting to figure out the current situation.

Rather than respond Shizune continued sprawling out the contents of the pile before her, muttering under her breath. "Look at this mess; it's going to take more than a week to get things organized. I spend years coming up with the most concise filing system this village has ever seen and in less than a month…"

He had witnessed this behavior before during Tsunade's reign. Always moving frantically between offices, arms filled with various objects as incomprehensible words escaped her lips. He could appreciate the madness; it offered a glimpse past the usual persona of the prim and proper medic.

Having had his fill of Shizune's antics the Rokudaime rose from his chair in silence and made his approach towards his would-be helper. Within a few moments he was just behind his target and for the briefest of moments he was reminded of the Hidden Leaf's secret finger jutsu, a Thousand Years of Death. Figuring its use would most certainly result in his own death Kakashi went for the less life-threatening shoulder tap.

She turned abruptly in the direction of the intruding finger and quickly found herself mere centimeters from the former copy nin. Neither person dared move from the rather intimate position. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks.

"Yo." She reflexively pushed him hard against his chest. Too hard in fact as he quickly lost his balance and fell atop a pile of important looking documents.

"I'm so sorry Kakashi. You kind of snuck up on me." She offered him a hand.

"That's alright. I was just trying to get your attention." As he straightened his attire Shizune bent down to pick up the scattered papers. "So, what are you doing Shizune?"

"I'm picking up the mess I made."

"Well, technically I made this mess. But that's not what I meant." He crouched down to meet her gaze and stop her actions. "Why are you in here?"

"I'm trying to get things organized around here."

"Maa, it may look chaotic but it's an organized chaos." She gave a snort at this, along with a shake of her head. "Besides this is why I have an assistant-"

"Oh, of course. We just have to make sure Shiho-chan isn't too busy with her 'alternate universe' hentai novel. Maybe she can spare a moment sometime this week…"

Yes, perhaps the whole prim and proper kunoichi look was the act, and this was the real Shizune. Nostrils flaring, eyes glaring, and her voice steadily rising above the necessary level needed for such a close distance. It was a bit terrifying.

There was a part of him that wanted to argue with her assessment of his assistant. After all she was the one who recommended Shiho. So whatever issues she had with the state of his office were of technically her own doing. But decades of shinobi experience had taught him to pick the right moment to fight back. Now was not such a moment. This situation called for a tactical retreat, it called for the elegant finesse of his silver tongue.

He took her hands in his own, the move promptly stopping her mid rant. "You're absolutely right Shizune. Everyone in this office has to start doing a better job around here, starting with me." A blush crept across her cheeks as she fought to hold back the smile that formed upon hearing his words. "I'll turn this place around, I promise."

"I, t-thanks Kakashi. But you don't need to make any promises to me I just-"

"Oh but I do." Finally letting go of her hands he walked towards his desk, slowly shifting the various scrolls and documents scattered throughout. "And I'm going to need you to make me a promise too."

As expected the medical specialist was at his side in an instant, any concern over his unruly office became a thing of the past. "What do you mean?"

"Sakura mentioned relieving you of your hospital duties for a little while, something about too much stress in your condition not being to good for you. And from what I've seen the past few minutes I don't think I'd be comfortable having you around the office." He placed his hand gently against her growing belly. "It'd be better off if you avoided any stressful environments, for the both of you."

Her gaze dropped towards his trespassing hand. "You're right. You're all are. I've just never been used to being so free. There was always something to do, people to help, decisions to make. And now…"

"And now, you'll take it easy. Hang out with some friends, find a hobby, maybe pick up some good literature." He flashed his prized copy of Icha Icha, receiving a rather menacing scowl from the expectant medic. "I'm not saying you have to take a liking to Jiraya's masterwork, I'm simply suggesting that you find ways to take it easy. And if you do things right you might even enjoy your time off along the way."

With that said he made his way to the door, pleased with his handling of what could've been a disastrous situation. He owed it all to the fourth Hokage, and his many examples of how not to handle a very irritated and pregnant kunoichi. "Anyways, I'll see you around Shizune. My Hokage duties await me."

"More 'meetings' then?"

He stopped just outside the doorway and turned to see the curious look she was giving him. The question had caught him off guard. The kunoichi had always been mindful of other's privacy. But from the tone of her voice he could tell she was keen to hear his answer. He hesitated, although he couldn't say why he did. "Yeah, the elders never get tired of them."

She took a moment to let the words sink in before she gave a quick nod in response. He turned and left her standing in the newfound tension of the Hokage's office. From her face he knew the answer was not the one she was looking for, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth.

* * *

Teuchi had recently opened a new location on the northern side of the village. It was a family style restaurant serving a near perfect imitation of his original ramen recipes. It became a hit with the civilian crowd but any self-respecting ninja still preferred the quaint charm of the original.

The moment he stepped foot into the stand he was greeted warmly by old Teuchi himself. "Welcome Hokage-sama, please have a seat. My daughter will be with you in-"

"Kakashi-sama, what a pleasant surprise." Ayame had quickly abandoned whatever customers she was currently dealing with and rushed to Yamato's side. "I wish you would've let us known you were planning on dining in. I would have been better prepared for your arrival."

He could practically see the hearts flashing in her black eyes. It was as if the rest of the world had simply vanished, leaving only 'Kakashi' for her to gaze upon. "Sorry about that, I was in the neighborhood and decided I'd drop by."

Her smile grew even larger as she nodded her head. He was quite sure she was oblivious to whatever words had just left his mouth. She just continued to stare at him with those big eyes of hers for a few uncomfortable moments. "The usual then?"

"A-ah yes please."

"Okay, I'll be right back." She joined her father back in the kitchen area of the stand where the pair seemed to be having a highly animated conversation. Something to do with the time it was taking him to prepare his order. Teuchi shook his head a few times and continued to go about his work at his usual pace. And for the next few minutes Ayame stood right at his side, diligently inspecting every action her father took.

Once his meal had been served the brunette rushed back over to Yamato, her smile at a face-splitting level. "Enjoy Kakashi-sama."

"Thank you." In a flash his chopsticks had been split and quickly shoveling the contents of the bowl into his awaiting mouth. The humor was not lost on him, how he was masquerading as Konoha's copy nin while simultaneously giving his best impression of Naruto. There was a method to the madness though. After all his senpai made a habit of wolfing down his meals in a matter of seconds to avoid revealing any unwanted views of his face.

Though it took him eight whole seconds—an eternity compared to Kakashi's usual three to four—none of the other customers appeared to have noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"Delicious as always Teuchi-san. How much do I owe you Ayame?" She didn't respond, she just stood there staring at him with a strange look in her eye. Gone was the love-struck girl that was at his every beck and call the moment he stepped into the stand.

Then it hit him. She must have gotten a look at his face. Was it possible, that of all the people who've tried and failed to get a look at the elusive copy nin's face this simple waitress was one of the few to have succeeded.

Given her lack of response it fell on the old ramen chef to answer from the back of the kitchen. "There's no charge of course."

"R-right, well I'll be going then."

He had to fight his initial reaction of wanting to bolt out the little shop and run for cover. That would only raise any suspicion Ayame might have had regarding his identity.

"Hey!" A voice rang from behind him as his steps quicken to a light trot. He recognized the voice of the ramen girl despite the harsh inflection. "S-stop imposter…or I'll get the police." He stopped, not wanting to end up on the wrong end of an interrogation on account of his senpai's childish machinations.

He waited for the girl to catch her breath, brown hair sprawled all over her sweat covered brow. "How dare you, can't you pay for a meal like every other customer. And then dressing up as the Hokage, I'm pretty sure that's a criminal offense. Just who the heck do you think you are?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm Yamato."

She was quite for a few seconds. "Who?"

"Yamato, I always come in with Kakashi. Brown hair, I'm always wears the big forehead protector just like the Nidaime." She continued staring, still clueless. "Oh come on I'm the guy who built like a dozen houses in a matter of seconds with my wood style jutsu. How can you not know who I am?"

She snapped her fingers at the last part. "Oooooh."

"Finally."

"So you're the scary faced guy Naruto talks about all the time."

"Oh come on my face isn't that scary is it?" He slumped his shoulders, even a girl as common as Ayame thought so little of him.

"Well you're no Kakashi, I know that much. But there's still one thing I don't understand."

"You want to know why I'm dressed up like him right?" She nodded. "Well it's kinda ridiculous but I'll try to explain."


End file.
